1. Field of the Invention
A lancet with a removable guard is located over the point of a needle part of a lancet.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lancet comprises a needle held by a support body that has been moulded about the needle. In one form of lancet, a removable guard is moulded at the same time to cover the point of the needle. The guard can be snapped away to expose the needle for use. Conventional moulding techniques tend to subject the needle tip to a bending force so that it can be deflected to one side and thus becomes offset from the body. This can be a major disadvantage when the lancet is used in conjunction with an automatic finger pricking device, where the lancet is held by its body and the needlepoint is driven through a small hole in a support platform held against the blood-sampling site. Any misalignment of the needle could cause increased discomfort during the pricking operation. Also, recent diagnostic techniques may include a blood collecting test strip at the sampling site, so it is important to prevent any misalignment of the needle tip to avoid contact between the needle tip and the support platform, or between the needle tip and the wrong part of the test strip.